Compensating hinge structure for automobile hoods or the like



Jam 2, 1940- A. CLAUD-MANTLE 2,185,213

COMPENSATING HINGE STRUCTURE FOR AUTOMOBILE HOODS OR THE LIKE Filed Jan. 1'7, 1938 INVENTOR 56' QRTHUH Dunn-Manna ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 2, 1

1 STATES IUOMPENSATING HINGE STRUCTURE FOR AUTOMOBILE HOODS OR. THE LIKE Arthur Gland-Mantle, Trumbull, Conn., assignor to The Bassick Company, Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application January 1'], 1938, Serial No. 185,458

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to a compensating hinge structure for automobile hoods or the i like, and particularly hoods of the so-called alligator type which are hinged at their rearward t ends and are held in closed position by the hood catch at the forward end. In hoods of this type the edges of the cowl and the hood are usually curved forwardly from the vertical side edges toward the center of the top, and in swinging W the hood into open position it isimportant that the rearward edge of the hood have a movement forwardly and upwardly with respect to the forward edge of the cowl so that it will clear the cowl during the opening movement and there will be no chance of marring the finish. To this end it is an object of the invention to provide means which will cause the rearward edge of the hood to describe a predetermined and differential path.

A further object of the invention is to provide compensating hinge means which will effectually retain the hood in closed position under spring pressure, maintaining the hood tightly in relation to the side closure structure of the engine facility. In particular it is proposed to provide hinge means consisting of a pair of levers, one being shorter than the other, whereby the rearward end of the hood is adapted to be moved in a predetermined path, and spring means connected between these levers in such manner as to normally retain the hood closed, to offer only slight resistance to open the hood after the initial opening pressure is applied, and which in the open position of the hood will support it through the balancing effect of the spring.

With the above and other objects in view, an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, and this embodiment will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

in the drawing:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a portion of the engine compartment and cowl and the.rearward portion of the hood, the latter being partially broken away to show the hinge at one side of the hood.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 3-4 of Fig. 2.

' Fig. 4 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 1, and

compartment against looseness and vibration, and which will permit the hood to be raised with 1 showing the hood in its open position balanced by the spring means.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding, parts throughout the several figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, the hinge structure according to the invention is adapted to be employed in a connection with .an alligator type hood for enclosing an engine compartment having fixed sides Ill, provided at each of their upper 10.

edges with an inwardly bent ledge flange II disposed horizontally and upon which each respective lower edge of the hood at each side is adapted to seat in closed position, and a cowl I2, the upper portion of whichextends over the rearward portion of the engine compartment and has its forward edge I3 curved forwardly toward the center line of the hood. The hood I4 is provided at each of its lower edges with an inwardly bent flange I5 to which a resilient seal- 20 ing strip I6 is secured, and which strips are adapted to seat upon the ledge II of the sides II], the rearward edge I! of the hood being shaped to conform to the edge I3 of the cowl, so that in the closed position the hood is substantially continuous with the cowl surface. Within the rearward part of the engine compartment an inner cowl structure I8 is provided, the side walls of which are inwardly spaced from the sides In and the upper wall of which is downwardly spaced from the upper portion of the cowl I2 and the hood.

The hinge structures, according to the invention are mounted upon the side walls of the inner cowl structure l8 and are connected to the 5 hood at each side, these hinge structures at each side being of identical construction but in reverse relation to each other. For the sake of clearness of illustration and description, therefore, only the hinge structure at one side is shown.

It will be noted that the spaces between the inner cowl structure I8 and the sides I0, within which the hinge structures are located converge forwardly, and as the hood must s'wing about horizontal axes aligned with each other at each side of the hood and mounting means for the hinge structure is of stepped ofiset form to provide longitudinally spaced bearing portions disposed in vertical planes at right angles to such axes.

The mounting bracket I9 which is secured to the cowl structure I8 by bolts 20 is provided at its forward end with an. outwardly offset, upwardly projecting pivot supporting portion 2|, M

bent at an angle to the main portion of the bracket into a vertical plane at right angles to the hinge axes, and is provided at its rearward end with an outwardly offset pivot supporting portion 22, also disposed in a vertical plane at right angles to the hinge axes. A lever 23 is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends upon the bearing portion 2| by means of a pivot pin 24, and is provided with a series of bends so that it is normally diagonally disposed in alignment with the space between the cowl l8 and the wall In. These bends provide an intermediate bearing portion 23, disposed in a vertical plane at right angles to the hinge axes, and to which portion 23 the pivot pin 24 is connected, and an end portion 23 also disposed in a plane at right angles to the hinge axes, this end being connected by a pivot pin 25 to the bracket 26 which is connected to the hood, this bracket having a base flange 21 which is welded, riveted, or otherwise suitably secured to the inwardly bent flange l5 of the hood. The wall of the bracket extends in a generally diagonal direction in alignment with the space between the cowl l8 and the wall It], but is provided with hearing portions 26 and 26 disposed in vertical planes at right angles to the hinge axes, the pivot pin 25 connecting the end of the lever 23 being engaged in the bearing portion 26.

To the rearwardly disposed bearing portion 22 of the bracket l9 there is pivotally connected a triangular shaped lever plate 28, one corner being connected to said bearing portion 22 by a pivot pin 29, another corner being connected to the bearing portion 26 of the bracket 26 by means of a pivot pin 30, and the third corner having a spring connector plate 3| connected thereto by means of a pivot pin 32, and to which one end of a helical spring 33 is connected, the other end of this spring being connected to a spring connector plate 34 connected by a pivot pin 35 to the lower end of the lever 23. The triangular plate 28 is disposed in a generally diagonal direction in line with the space between the walls 18 and I0, and is bent to provide bearing portions 28 and 28 disposed in vertical planes at right angles to the hinge axes, which bearing portions are connected to the respective bearing portions 22 of the bracket I 9 and 26 of the bracket 26.

It will be noted that the pivot pin 24 Bin a plane above the plane of the pivot pin 29 and that the length of the lever 23 between the pivot pin 24 and the pivot pin 25 is greater than the length of the lever 28 between the pivot pin 29 and the pivot pin 30. These points are predetermined to cause the rear edge of the hood as it is raised to move forwardly away from the edge l3, the lower ends of the edge I! moving forwardly and upwardly in a relatively low angle outside arc and the central upper portion of the edge l1 moving first forwardly and upwardly and then slightly rearwardly in a relatively high angle inside are. The length of the lever 23 between the pivot pin 24 and the pivot pin 35, to

which is connected one end of the spring, is greatits maximum extension and exerting the greatest 7 force, relatively close to the pivot pin 24, so that a maximum force is exerted upon the link plate 28 in clockwise direction to retain the rearward end of the hood closed.

In order to open the hood the forward end is swung upwardly causing the lever 23 and the triangular link member 28 to swing forwardly in counter clockwise direction, and as the spring start immediately to contract and its pull is diminished as soon as the lever 23 swings in counter clockwise direction the force required to raise the hood is relatively slight, the hood weight being approximately balanced by the spring. As the hood reaches its fully raised position the force line of the spring moves over the dead centerof the pivot pin 29 exerting a counter clockwise rotary force on the lever 28. At the same time the spring exerts an opposing force through the bracket 26 and the lever 23 which tends to bring the pivot points 25, 30 and 23 into a straight line and produces a substantially balancing action to maintain the hood in open position. To close the hood it is only necessary to pull it downwardly sufiiciently to swing the force line of the spring to the other side of the dead center of the pivot pin 29, whereupon the hood moves to closed position under the pull of the spring.

I have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodiment of the invention, but

it will be understood that changes may be made therein within the spirit and scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A hinge structure for an automobile hood or the like, comprising supporting means adapted to be secured to a fixed part, swinging means adapted to be secured to the hood, the hood adapted to seat upon said fixed part in the closed position, forward and rearward lever members longitudinally spaced with respect to the hood pivotally mounted upon said supporting means at longitudinally spaced points and pivotally connected to said swinging means at longitudinally spaced points, said rearward lever member being shorter than said forward lever member, said pivotal mountings and connections being so arranged that upon rotation of said lever members in one or the other directions differential swinging movement is imparted to the forward and rear ends of said swinging means to respectively open and close the hood, a helical spring connected at one end to said forward lever member at a point spaced from its pivotal mounting upon said supporting means and at its other end to said rearward lever member at a point spaced from its pivotal mounting upon said supporting means, said spring being expanded under tension in the normal closed position of the hood and adapted to exert pull upon said forward lever member in hood opening direction and pull upon said rearward lever memher in hood closing direction, said pull upon said rearward lever member being along a line below its pivotal mounting upon said supporting means, said spring adapted in the open position of the hood to exert pull along a line above said pivotal mounting upon both said forward and rearward lever members in hood opening direction, the pivotal mountings and connections of said lever members and the connections of the spring therewith being so constructed and arranged that in the closed position of the hood the length of the torque arm of said rearward lever member is greater in proportion to the length of 2. The hinge structure as defined in claim 1,

further characterized in that the connection of said spring with said forward lever member is at the opposite side of its pivotal mounting from its pivotal connection with said swinging means, and the connection of saidspring with said rearward lever member is provided by an ofiset portion on the lever member between its pivotal mounting and its connection with said swinging means.

ARTHUR CLAUD-MAN'I'LE. 

